Ted,
Actually, an M with an electronic shutter should be a tad cheaper. ( If I
read your reply correctly, you felt an EM would be more expensive.
I understand that Pentax dropped the K-1000 because even having it made in
China, the cost of manufacturing the mechanical shutter was causing them to
lose money on every copy they sold. THe P30 seems to be the replacement;
cheaper, and with the option of 'manual' or auto operation.
I think the reason the Leica R6.2 is more expensive than the R7 or in some
ads, the R8 is because the mechanical shutter is simply more costly to
manufacture and adjust.
An Electronic M would probably be cheaper, and have some of the automatic
features that many people have come to favor ( I hesitate to say 'depend
upon') If Leica also continued the M6 as a mechanical alternative, much as
they continued with the R6.2, then it would be possible for many people to
get a leg up on owning a Leica system, and make it more appealing to the
'masses'.
I don'[t suggest that they pander to what some would consider the 'great
unwashed' but like it or not, most companies are driven by market forces. A
few concessions would not be tantamount to selling out, by any stretch of
the imagination. Besides, it is the Leica glass that makes the image, and I
would not suggest any compromise to that area!
Dan'l
dwpost@msn.com